Frozen Ties
by frostbender
Summary: The very much improvised story of Loki and his relationship with a childhood friend/love. Loosely based on everything. Takes place through Loki's childhood and leads up to after the Avengers. Still in progress, so please don't judge by the first part, I promise it gets more interesting and emotional and dynamic. Story came from a daydream I'd had a lot, so I decided to write it.
1. Chapter 1 of part 1

**This is the first chapter of part 1 of a two part fiction. The first part will take place throughout Loki's younger years, and part 2 takes place after the Avengers. PLEASE REVIEW, any feedback is extremely helpful. If you find any grammar errors or have plot suggestions please feel free to let me know. **

**I hope you all enjoy. I'm having such a great time writing this, and I would love for you to as well.**

The boy peered out from behind a leafy branch of the small tree. Inside the wall of the courtyard, a girl held two ornate silver daggers in her hands. She moved with them like she was cutting through water. She was ducking and spinning in what, to the boy, seemed some kind of strange dance. Suddenly, the girl froze. The boy was terrified she had seen or heard him. But she was looking in the opposite direction now, at a green melon placed on top of a pile of crates. The girl now bit her tongue in concentration, eyes fixed on the target. With one swift motion she stepped forward with her right foot and released one of the daggers. It sliced through the air in a straight line, spiraling as it flew. It pierced the melon right in the center, sending fragments of shell and juice flying across the courtyard. The boy was taken by surprise. How could one small knife do such great damage? And how had this small girl hit her target with perfect force and accuracy? The girl walked towards the place where the melon had previously sat, and with was now unrecognizable as a fruit, and more resembled the scene of a gruesome murder. He moved farther out onto a branch to get a better look, placing one hand on a long branch to his right to keep his balance. _Crack._ The branch gave way and the small child hit the ground with a disturbing thud. The girl whipped around, a knife still clutched in one hand, which she now brought up to chest-height, not in defense, but in preparation for attack. The boy tried to get on his feet, now more afraid than embarrassed.

"WHAT DO YOU DOING HERE?" she shouted.

"I.. Uhhh.. I just..."

But he didn't get to finish, because she had pushed him to the ground again and pinned him on his back, knife held right to his neck.

"You either tell me who you are and why you're spying on me, or what just happened to that melon is going to happen to your head."

"I'm sorry, I just heard noises and wanted to see what was happening. I wasn't spying on you... I was just curious!" he stammered.

The girl hesitated for a moment, as if unsure as to whether he was telling the truth, then she released her grip on him and stood up. The boy got up as well, brushing dirt and leaves off of his tunic and trousers. The girl took a few steps back and looked him over skeptically. He was fairly tall for a child, but dangerously skinny. He wore tan trousers and a loose green tunic with his ink-black hair pushed back. He had a sort of pointy face, and the ivory pale skin was only broken by a pair of intense green eyes. He was looking at her too, now seeing her face for the first time. He had watched her the previous day as well, trying to figure out what she was doing with her weapons. All he had been able to make out from the tree was a long braid of brown hair that fell across her back. Now up close, he could see that she had a narrow figure, outlined by robin's egg blue flowing silk jumpsuit. She also had large brown eyes, currently scrutinizing him under a furrowed brow.

"You didn't tell me who you were." she said in a demanding tone, but she had let the hand holding the dagger fall to her side. The boy straightened the hem of his tunic and cleared his throat.

"I am Loki, _prince _of Asgard." He said proudly, now that there wasn't a knife being held to his neck.

"Prince?" She scoffed. "So let me guess, you believe it's your _birthright_ to be able to snoop on anyone you choose?

"No!" He said defensively. "And I already said, I wasn't... I wasn't snooping on anyone!"

"Well then why are you in my courtyard?" She asked.

"I uhh... fell out of the tree." He admitted guiltily. His cheeks had turned bright pink, a comical contrast to his extremely light skin.

She just stared at him.

"So... what exactly was it that you were doing with those daggers?" He said, trying to change the subject.

For the first time, the girl didn't look as menacing. She gave a proud smirk and ran off to the pile of crates. When she came back, she held the other knife in her hand. It was still dripping with bright red juice, and she bent down and wiped the blade on the grass. When it was clean, she reached over her head and stuck it into the top end of her braid. Loki winced, for it gave the impression of disappearing right into her skull, only a silver handle remained visible sticking out of her brown hair. Now she picked up the other dagger from where she had lain it on the grass. Twirling it in front of her face, she said "What I was doing" she said in an almost annoyed tone, "was knife-wielding. It's an ancient art form, but most of all, a deadly foe in battle." She tossed the knife up into the the air. It spun and landed perfectly, handle down, in her grip. She continued to explain in a scholarly way for such a young child.

"As you witnessed earlier, not only can it be used in hand-to-hand combat, but a skilled master of the knife can launch their weapons at their opponents from afar, keeping a safe distance but inflicting mortal wounds. The practice of knife-wielding requires stealth, agility, and most of all..." she spun on her toes and released the knife, sending it straight into the trunk of the tree Loki had been hiding in, "...practice." She finished.

Loki looked at her in amazement, he had never seen knife-wielding before, but he could tell that she was exceptional at it.

"So, what can _you _do?" She asked with a tone that let him know that _she_ knew how good she was at her skill, and was clearly not expecting anything as impressive from him.

He waited a moment before answering, trying to build up suspense, although the girl stood in a manner looking quite bored.

"_I _can do magic." he said, putting a haughty inflection on the first word.

"Do you want to see?" he asked. He had expected her to ask him immediately, but she just stood there looking uninterested.

"Yes." She answered pointedly.

Now he was feeling excited. His gift in sorcery was his biggest pride, and he always looked forward to an occasion to showcase his talents. He turned without a word and walked over to a small pond in the corner of the courtyard. Under the clear crystal water there were colorful fish swimming lazily around. He looked quickly to the side to make sure the girl had followed and was giving him her full attention. Then, he pulled up the sleeves of his tunic and held his arms over the pond. He was being as flamboyant as possible, wanting to seem mysterious and impressive, maybe to even show-up the girl's skills with his own. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and turned his hands palms-down to the water. He started to move his fingers and twist his hands in slow, erratic motions. He heard the girl giggle beside him. He pretended not to notice and started murmuring in long mantras, sometimes including clicking or hissing sounds, in some ancient tongue. Loki had practiced enough to perform magic without having to recite the spells, but he felt adding them in would make his performance more captivating. He nervously opened one eye to see if it was working. Sure enough, a glittering blue fish was rising towards the surface of the water. Loki opened both eyes to enjoy his own spectacle. The fish had broken the surface and was rising higher and higher, gasping and writhing in the air. Loki now had a smug look on face, knowing that the girl _had _to be impressed by this. She said nothing until the fish had reached a the height of Loki's head.

"Put him down!" she said.

Loki was fish fell with a splash back into the pond. The girl ran forward and knelt by the edge of the water.

"Why did you let him fall?!" she demanded.

"I didn't mean to! You broke my concentration!" he defended.

"Because he was dying! He needed water!" she exclaimed. Then she reach into the water and grabbed the blue fish from underneath. It must have hit a rock at the bottom of the pool when it fell, because it had a large gash in it's side. The girl held it with her left hand now. With her right, she brought two wet fingers to her lips and closed her eyes. She whispered something that Loki couldn't quite catch. She took her fingers away from her lips and touched them to the head of the struggling fish. The second her skin met it's body, a white glow spread from the spot where she had touched all across the body of the fish. The glow was gone in a split second, Loki thought he might have imagined it. He had to blink a few times before the dots of light left his eyes, and when they did, he was shocked to find the wound on the side of the fish was gone. The girl simply placed it back in the water and turned to face him.

"You could have been more careful." she said.

"What was _that?" _he asked, awestruck.

"What was what?" she snapped.

"You just... you just made the wound disappear!"

"It was nothing."

"But you just touched the fish and it was healed!" He exclaimed.

"It was _nothing." _she repeated. But Loki persisted.

"You can't just do something like that and say it's nothing!"

The girl took a deep breath and looked away from him. Then she turned back to give him a stern look.

"I'm a healer." she said plainly.

"A what?" Loki asked, now very interested.

The girl sighed.

"I was born with the ability to heal things."

"That's incredible! Thats, that's_ amazing_!" He had forgotten about showing off his magic, and was now staring at the girl, fully immersed in wonder.

"Why are you acting so indifferent about something like this? It's a miracle!" he said.

"No. No it's not. It's a talent that _I _never asked for! And you better not tell anyone! Do you hear me? Tell anyone and you'll wake up with one of those shiny knives pressed to your throat!"

Loki wasn't phased by her threat this time, as he was still overwhelmed by the feat he had just seen performed.

"But why don't you like it?" Loki asked.

"Because don't you see? If everyone finds out they'll send me to Vanaheim to study! They'll make me become a healer! But I don't want that. I want to be a _warrior._"

Loki paused for a moment, not really knowing what to say. He'd never heard of someone in Asgard having the power to heal.

"Well I think you'd make a great warrior." He finally said.

The girl started to say something, but was interrupted by a call coming from within the house.

"Come inside! It's time for dinner!"

"I have to go." The girl said.

She started running across the courtyard to the door.

"Wait!" Loki yelled after her. "You never told me your name!"

She stopped running and turned around for a second.

"I'm Aura." she said. And then she was gone.

Loki walked in a daze the entire way back to the palace.

**(Please tell me what you think!)**


	2. Chapters 2,3,4 of part 1

Loki and Aura had never laughed so hard in their lives. Crouching behind a small bush, Aura watched as Loki made the silver fox run circles around a nearby tree. A stout blonde-haired boy chased it dizzily, with the mock look of a fierce hunter on his face. Loki had to transfer some of the concentration his was using to perform the illusion to now focus on not bursting out with laughter so loudly that Thor would hear them. The fox now turned back into mist, fading into the scenery only to appear a few yards away next to a small creek. Thor was utterly dumbfounded. He bounded across the clearing to the spot where the fox was standing, flicking it's tail and standing in a taunting manner which, to Thor, oddly resembled his younger brother. But the second the boy reached the place the fox appeared to be, it vanished. Thor grumbled in frustration. He looked across the creek to the edge of a dense forest, wondering if the fox had possibly jumped to safety without his notice. Just then a mysterious wind picked up, strange for such a sunny day. It was coming from behind Thor, and it was relentless until the boy lost his balance and fell frontwards into the swift-moving water. Aura gasped.

"Loki! I know you did that!"

"What?" Loki asked guiltily.

Thor came to the surface and coughed a few times before taking a deep breath. He swam against the current to a nearby rock.

"He could have drowned." Said Aura.

"Oh come on Aura, I know he can swim." Said Loki. "He would have done the same thing to me!" He added.

Aura just sighed.

"Loki, you're my dearest friend," she said, "but sometimes you act like you have the heart of a Frost Giant."

* * *

The two children were playing in the sunny courtyard of the palace. They sat across from each other in the long, lush grass. Aura picked a few stray wildflowers and tossed them into the air between them. Right before the flowers started to fall back down, they caught in the air, as if suddenly suspended in the vacuum of space. Then all at once they began to twirl in the air in front of the children's faces. Once Aura looked thoroughly impressed, Loki made them land gently on the grass between them. Their playing was interrupted by a loud voice.

"Brother! Come sword fight with me!"

Thor came into view holding two wooden play swords. Loki sighed.

"Not now, Thor."

"Why, are you just afraid to lose? Everyone _knows _you're lousy with a sword anyway." said Thor.

"Just ignore him." Aura said under her breath to Loki.

Thor walked towards where the two were sitting.

"I knew you were afraid to fight me! You're such a coward! How did my own brother end up such a pouty weakling?"

And with that, Thor brought down one of the wooden swords hard onto the back of Loki's neck.

"Leave him alone!" Aura shouted as she jumped to her feet.

"Just like you Loki, to rely on your little girlfriend to protect you." Thor grabbed Aura with one arm and pulled her close to him, trying to ruffle the top of her hair. Aura struggled to escape his grip, but the boy was surprisingly strong for his size, so she was limited to only kicking at his shins.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Loki yelled, now standing up as well.

"What's going to make me? Are you going to use one of your little spells on me? Maybe turn me into a toad?" Thor teased, still pinning Aura immobile.

Loki's face contorted into a focused stare. He looked straight into Thor's eyes, and in his own there was a look that caused even Aura to feel afraid.

Loki didn't move a muscle, just stood completely still, looking straight at his older brother.

"Well if you aren't even going to put up a fi-" Thor broke mid-sentence. His blue eyes became wide and he let go of Aura and dropped to the ground.

"Loki? Loki what are you doing to him" Aura said panically. But Loki didn't answer her, or even avert his eyes from Thor for a second. Then Thor started to scream. He lay twitching on the ground, eyes un-focused and yelling at the top of his lungs. Loki still showed no emotion, his face was incredibly pale, but he looked as though he might have been watching a very boring play, not his brother suffering in excruciating pain. Now Aura had dropped to her knees and was trying to get Thor to stop writhing, but the boy showed no relief, and was unresponsive to all of her efforts. He was mumbling something to no one.

"Make it stop. Make the burning stop." he said, still looking far away. Aura was hysterical now.

"PLEASE LOKI! CAN YOU EVEN HERE ME? LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT THOR! CAN'T YOU SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING?" she pleaded, hot tears running down her cheeks. She stumbled to her feet and grabbed Loki by the shoulders and started shaking him, but to no avail. She feel to her knees again. Thor had curled into a ball and had stopped screaming and speaking, but was now moaning quietly into his knees.

Loki turned his gaze to Aura, who was begging at his feet. His eyes began to change, going from stony indifference to being in a state of shock.

"Wh-WHAT HAVE I DONE?" he exclaimed.

Thor had stopped moving. Aura crawled over to where he lay.

"Thor! Thor! Wake up! Oh please wake up!" she wailed.

She then seemed to remember something, and she turned behind her to look at Loki.

"Help me roll him onto his back." she commanded.

Loki still stood where he was, his eyes darting from Thor, to Aura, and back to Thor.

"WELL ARE YOU GOING TO HELP ME OR NOT?" Aura shouted.

He snapped out of shock and ran over to her and pushed Thor so that he lay sprawled on his back.

Aura wiped her teary cheeks with the backs of her hands, then she brought her fingers to her lips.

"Caeli auxilium me sana haec vulnera." she stammered, and then places her fingers on Thor's forehead. She sat there intently watching him. Loki tried to catch her gaze anxiously, but she seemed to not notice his presence. Finally, the boy awoke, gasping and panting.

"Oh thank you heavens!" Aura exclaimed, and used the sleeve of her blouse to wipe the perspiration off of Thor's forehead. Once Thor had seemingly recovered enough to sit up, he still did not say anything, she looked at Loki. At first he thought he saw pain in her eyes, maybe even sympathy, but whatever he saw in a split-second soon became nothing but anger.

"YOU MONSTER!" she yelled. "AND TO YOUR OWN BROTHER!"

Loki shrank back in submission and shame.

"Thor, are you okay?" Aura asked.

"I'm, I'll be fine." he said. Loki expected his brother to flash him a nasty look, but when their eyes met, all Loki could see was fear.

"I'll go get mother." Loki said quickly, and proceeded to run off towards the palace.

Loki returned soon, a worried Frigga trailing swiftly behind him.

"Thor!" she exclaimed as she scooped her eldest son into her arms.

"You two stay here, I'm going to take him back to the palace so the menders can treat him." She hesitated a second.

"I'll be back to speak with you later."

Her gaze drifted to Loki. Her eyes were full of pain. She then turned away and started back towards the palace with Thor in her arms. Loki and Aura sat in silence, not looking at each other. Loki stared down at the ground. The silence was broken by his careful voice.

"Can you ever forgive me?"

Aura said nothing. Loki looked up, only to see that she had turned away from him and was looking out towards the sprawling grounds of the palace. Loki cleared his throat, as to remind her that he had spoken.

"It is not me to whom you should be apologizing." Aura said bitterly.

"I'll talk to Thor, I'll beg for his forgiveness, but right now," he paused "right now I'm worried about _you._" Loki said, hoping she would turn around to look at him. It was hard to read her emotions without seeing her face. In addition to that, he wanted her to see his own, to see how truly genuine his remorse was. They sat in silence once again. At last Aura turned to face Loki. She stared intensely into his eyes, and he knew that she was the one person he could never lie to. She could always tell exactly what lay behind those deceitful green eyes.

"I know you're better than this." was all she said before turning back around.

Frigga returned soon after. She gave stern looks to both children before sitting on the grass in between them.

"Thor fell into a deep sleep the moment I placed him on the healing table, so the two of you will have to tell me exactly what happened. And tell me the _truth._" she said, flashing a warning in Loki's direction.

"We were just playing and-" Aura started.

"I cursed Thor." Loki interrupted.

"You **_what?" _**exclaimed Frigga.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know what the spell would do!" said Loki.

"What spell was it Loki? Why would you ever use a spell you didn't know? And to practice on your own brother? What in the name of Odin was going through your head?" Frigga said, exasperated.

"I- I think the spell was called _Corpus Ignis." _Loki said.

A shadow of fear suddenly covered Frigga's face.

"Loki, that spell is _dark, dark magic. _Where did you even learn how to perform it?"

"I found it in one of your magic books, the ones you keep on the top shelf." Loki said, hanging his head low with guilt.

"You don't understand Loki, you must be mistaken. If you used _that _spell on him, Thor would certainly be dead right now. Are you being honest with me?" Frigga demanded.

"Lady Frigga," said Aura, "Please let me explain. Loki and I were just playing, when Thor came and started bothering us. He hit him with a wooden sword and then grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. Loki was trying to defend me, I don't think he knew what he was doing."

Loki gave Aura a grateful look, but she ignored him and kept speaking.

"Thor fell to the ground and I was trying to help him, and Loki, well, he was kinda different after he started performing the spell. It was terrifying, I've never seen him like that."

Loki suddenly hated himself for what he had done. Hearing Aura talk about him like that, how genuinely scared she sounded, and she was scared of _him. _

"Oh Loki!" gasped Frigga and pulled him into her arms. "That magic you used, and for being such a small child" she said frettfully, "it can take hold of you, it can _change _you." she looked as though she wanted to say something else, but thought better of it.

"Oh please my child, never do anything like that ever again! You are too young, too pure to be involved with such horrid things. Even the most accomplished sorcerer is weary of spells so horrid."

Frigga now turned to Aura.

"But after encountering magic like that, how was Thor so un-harmed?"

"I healed him." Aura said truthfully.

"But you, how?" Frigga looked confused.

"Oh please don't tell anyone. Loki and my father are the only ones who know. I was born with healing abilities, I don't know why." she suddenly looked nervous.

"Please don't send me to Vanaheim! Please don't make me study to be a healer!" she despaired. Frigga looked with a curious wonder at the young child.

"You were born with a wonderful gift," she said "but no one is going to force you to do anything you don't want to." she added tenderly as she pulled Aura close to her with her free arm. Aura looked reassured. The two children closed their eyes and allowed Frigga to comfort them as the lazy afternoon changed into a pleasant Asgardian summer's eve.

* * *

It was another picturesque day in Asgard, but Loki and Aura were inside the palace.

"Get some water too!" Aura shouted to Loki from the prince's room, he was in Frigga's quarters trying to grab whatever first-aid tools he could find.

"Quickly!" she added.

"I know, I know, I'm coming!" he yelled back.

Aura leaned over the the body of a small bluebird. Both of it's wings were broken and it had a large piece of flesh missing on it's underbelly. The two children had come across the injured creature while taking a stroll around the royal grounds. Aura had already tried to use her healing abilities to help the bird once outside, but with no result.

"Here." Loki said, handing Aura a cloth and a pitcher of water and sitting down beside her. She quickly dampened the cloth with the water and set about cleaning the bird's wounds. Once she was finished, she once again tried to use her abilities. Nothing happened. The bird twitched a few times before becoming completely stiff. Loki saw that Aura's eyes were full of tears, and he put one hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay Aura, it's not your fault." he said, he was just as upset as she, but he knew he couldn't show it or all hope of consoling his friend would be lost.

"But it IS my fault!" she wailed and curled her head into her knees.

"I failed. I failed and it's ALL my fault and I don't deserve to have these abilities!"

Just then, Frigga entered the room.

"Children what are you do- ...what's wrong" she asked when she saw Aura curled over sobbing and Loki looking hopeless. Then she noticed the dead bird laying on the floor. She looked at her son with a sympathetic understanding. She went and knelt down beside them, pulling Aura into her arms.

"There there." she said. "Don't despair, death is a tragic, but unavoidable part of living. We all have to deal with it at some age, you've just had the bad luck of running in to it more than a child should have to." She remembered what Aura's father had said, how the girl's mother had died in childbirth.

"Shhhh, shhh, it's alright." she said. Ever since Loki had first brought the girl to play at the palace when she was very young, Frigga had tried her best to act as a mother to the child. She offered the sleeve of her dress which Aura used to wipe her teary eyes.

"Don't worry Aura." she said lovingly, "You did your best, there are just some things in life too broken to mend."


	3. Chapter 5 of part 1

Aura reached the spot in the forest where Loki had asked to meet her. It was Autumn in Asgard, and the not-yet-fallen leaves cloaked the trees in warm tones. Aura looked around, wondering if he was playing a trick on her.

"Up here!" yelled a voice from the canopy. Aura looked up, now she saw Loki sitting high in the branches of a tree a few yards ahead.

"Care to join me?" Loki asked.

"Sure, I'll be right up!" said Aura happily as she began climbing. When she reached the groove in the wood where he was sitting, she saw that he had a basket of apples by his side. She settled on a nearby tree-limb.

"Here you go." Loki said, tossing an apple in her direction.

"Thanks." She replied, catching and biting into the ripe fruit.

"So what took you so long?" questioned Loki.

"Sorry about that. Sif and I stayed a few minutes late after today's warrior training because she wanted me to teach her how to properly grip a knife."

Loki sighed moodily.

"It feels like I hardly get to see you anymore now that you've taken up all this extra training. C'mon Aura, you don't have to work _that _hard. You're already amazing!"

She blushed.

"Thanks Loki, but I don't mind all the training. I actually enjoy it! Plus, I need to be ready. You never know when there might be an attack. Or, I know this is going to sound silly, but maybe it won't be long before Odin agrees to let me join the warriors of Asgard in battle."

Loki suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"Aura... you're not being serious are you?" he said.

Aura looked confused.

"Of course I'm being serious! This is what I've been training for my entire life!" she said enthusiastically.

"But... you can't go into battle!" he practically yelled.

"What? What are you talking about? Of course I can! Why are you saying such things?" Aura said, hurt by his unexpected reaction.

"Because you just can't! It's too dangerous! There are plenty of other warriors who will defend Asgard!" he said, a desperate tone now in his voice.

Aura's face changed from excitement to anger.

"I can't believe you! You can't tell me what to do! I want to fight for Asgard, it's what I've always wanted!"

"I won't allow it." Loki said.

"You _WON'T ALLOW IT_?" Aura stammered in disbelief. "What makes you think I'll listen to you?"

"Because I'm going to be king one day, and I'll forbid you from being a warrior! You'll have to listen to me. When I'm king, you'll have to do anything I say! I can even order you to kiss me if I want!" he blurted out, his cheeks turning pink.

"Then I'll be an outlaw!" she snapped back at him. "I'll live by my own rules, and I'll only kiss you if I want to!"

and with that she jammed her lips onto his. She pulled away quickly, then, without looking back, climbed down the tree and ran out of sight.

**(Thank you for reading! This has definitely been my favorite chapter to write. I'm sorry about it being so short. PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW.)**


	4. Chapter 6 of part 1

"Can you at least tell me where we're going?" Aura asked impatiently.

"You'll see." replied Loki.

It was Aura's birthday. She was turning the equivalent of thirteen in Asgardian age. The past year or two, she and Loki had been growing more and more shy around each other, but despite the typical adolescent awkwardness, they still remained the closest of friends. Loki had been acting mysterious for the past week and a half before Aura's birthday. She bothered him incessantly, trying to get him to tell her what he had planned, but he wouldn't say a word.

"Don't you think the obscured-vision spell was a little extreme? You're not going to push me off a cliff are you?" Aura nervously joked.

Loki had used a simple spell, with Aura finally grumbling her consent, to cause her vision to become abstract until they reached their destination.

"No, I want it to be a surprise." he said.

Loki led her deeper into the forest, and then stopped abruptly.

"Here we are." he said pleasantly.

Aura's vision returned to normal as he spoke. She looked around her in wonder. She was standing in a familiar clearing in the woods around the palace, but she was breath-taken by their transformation, no doubt the work of Loki. The tall green trees were full of dazzling white lights that served as a magical illumination for everything else. In the middle of the clearing was a beautiful white cloth, and on top of it were two place settings of gold. In between was a single flickering candle with a blue flame. Aura beamed.

"Do you like it?" Loki asked, proud of his handiwork.

"Of course I do!" she said. She leaned over and hugged him. Loki blushed profusely.

They both got a better look at each other now that they were surrounded by light. Loki looked truly royal, wearing a black tunic and trousers and gleaming silver belt. He was still very tall, and very thin. His piercing green eyes, lit with happiness, reflected the magical white lights which surrounded them.

Aura was dressed in a simple light yellow dress, the material of which flowed elegantly across her slender figure. She had her dark brown hair styled in loose curls across her shoulder.

"Shall we sit down?" she asked Loki.

"Whatever you wish, it is _your_ birthday." he said with a meek smile.

They walked over to where the dining-ware was set, and sat down across from each other.

"Are you hungry?" Loki asked.

"As ever." Aura replied with a laugh.

He waved his hand and the gold plates displayed every Asgardian delicacy Aura could imagine. Her eyes grew wide with amazement. Loki reached over and to a glass bottle that had appeared with the food. He opened it and filled both of their glasses with a sparkling white liquid.

"Oh what's that?" Aura asked.

"Just a little something special I snuck from the kitchens." Loki replied coyly.

Aura picked up her glass and took a sip.

"Champagne?" she asked.

"Mhmm." He said happily.

"Delicious." said Aura.

They sat in silence for a while, not an awkward one, just the kind that comes about when people are happy just to be in the presence of each other.

"Before we eat," said Loki "I want to give you something." He reached into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out a small black box. He held it out to Aura encouragingly. Aura took the box into her hands and opened it.

"Wow." she whispered.

Inside the box was what appeared to be a small shard of crystal, hanging from a delicate silver chain.

"It's ice, from Jotunheim. It's enchanted so it will never melt, but it's still cold to touch." said Loki.

"Thank you Loki, it's beautiful." Aura said.

"You're beautiful." Loki said, looking into her eyes. She broke his gaze and looked down at her lap to hide her blushing.

"Here, let me help you put that on." Loki said, walking over and kneeling beside her. He reached around her shoulders and let the pendant fall onto her chest. She pulled her hair away from the back of her neck, allowing him to fasten the small clasp on the jewelry. He went back to his place and sat staring at his hands. He was embarrassed to have been so close to her. When he looked up he was reassured to see Aura smiling at him.

As the amount of champagne in the bottle was lessened, so was their shyness. They indulged in the gourmet foods, all the while talking and laughing.

"Would you be kind enough to humor me for a dance, my lady?" Loki asked when they were finished eating, although true desire shown through his joking tone.

"But, there's not any music." Aura said, trying to sound amused by his request, although she too was drawn to the idea.

"That shouldn't be a problem." Loki said, and at that moment, an elegant tune began playing. The music seemed to be coming right out of the night air which surrounded them. Loki stood up and playfully bowed before offering Aura his hand. She allowed him to assist her up. Once they were both standing, they looked nervously at each other, each wondering whether the other had been joking the entire time.

"You'd think, with all those royal balls at the palace, someone would have taught me to dance." said Loki lightheartedly, breaking the silence. Aura laughed.

"That shouldn't be a problem." Aura mimicked. She walked towards him and made the first move, wrapping her arms around his neck. Loki followed her lead, wrapping his arms around her slender waist. Aura looked up at him, her big doe-like eyes gleaming. They began to gently sway side to side in regard to the light music. The early-autumn night had become cool and crisp, with a pleasant breeze carrying the aroma of wildflowers. The two moved closer to each other, growing more comfortable as the music progressed. Soon enough, Aura had come to rest her head up against Loki's chest, and he had raised one hand to cradle the back of it, gently stroking her hair. The song seemed to be never ending, changing and evolving through the night. Loki moved his hand to Aura's cheek and lifted her head until she met his emerald gaze.

"Can I confess something?" he asked nervously.

"Of course." said Aura, still caught in his piercing eyes. Loki just looked back at her, then leaned down close to her ear.

"I love you." he whispered.

She stared deep into his eyes, trying to make out any hint of forgery. There was none to be found.

"I love you too." she replied tenderly.

Without saying anything else, Loki pulled her closer to him and closed his eyes.

"Thank you for tonight, for everything." said Aura softly.

Without warning, Loki leaned down and kissed her. He wrapped his arms tighter around her waist and she raised herself onto her toes to reach his height. When he pulled away, Aura rested her head on his shoulder and lightly kissed his neck.

"My pleasure." said Loki.

Their bodies fit together so comfortably, and they shared warmth against the cool autumn night.

"I've got an idea." Loki said.

"Hmm?" Aura mumbled dreamily.

"Tonight is a good night for watching the stars." said Loki, and Aura looked down to find them now standing on a soft wool blanket. They both let go of each other briefly to position themselves on the ground. Once laying down, Aura cuddled up to Loki, and he wrapped his arm around her back, pulling her in. With her head resting on Loki's chest, Aura looked up at the dark night sky. The stars _were _beautiful that night. A white light shot across the black sky for a split second, then was gone with a blink.

"Did you see that?" Aura asked Loki.

"Mhmm. Isn't there some myth about wishing on a shooting star?" he said.

**(**"Yeah, I think I've heard that somewhere." she replied.

"Then make a wish, Aura." said Loki.

Aura sighed dreamily.

"I wish I could stay in this moment forever." she said. Loki leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

"Me too." he said.

Aura could feel the rise and fall of Loki's breath as she lay against him.

"Are you in the mood for desert?" Loki asked as he reached for a bottle covered in golden foil that had appeared at his side. He opened the bottle and offered it to Aura.

"Are you just _trying _to get me drunk?" she teased, taking a sip of the drink. It tasted like chocolate and strawberries, and the fizzing bubbles made her feel warm and alive all over. They sat there for a while, passing the bottle back and forth and watching the stars.

Aura turned so that she was looking into Loki's intense green eyes.

"Is it true what they've been saying about you?" she said playfully, "That you're the _god _of mischief?"

"You tell me." he said as he pulled her in for a passionate kiss.

**(The next chapter is going to be the last of part 1. It's a continuation of this chapter, so please stay tuned and PLEASE REVIEW.)**


	5. Chapter 7 of 1

They were awoken by the song of a hundred birds. Sunlight filtered in through the gaps in the leaves of the tall trees which surrounded them. Aura rubbed her eyes lazily and then curled in closer to Loki.

"I don't even remember falling asleep." she yawned.

"Hmm?" he mumbled sleepily.

"What happened? I remember we were watching the stars but nothing after. Where are we now?" she opened her eyes and got a better view of her surroundings. They were still in the forest, but not laying on the blanket on the ground. Sometime during the night Loki must have used magic to make a place to sleep. They were laying in something suspended off the ground between two trees. The thing was made of wood, and was shaped something like a hammock or a small rowboat. It was hollow and filled with soft cushions and pillows and blankets.

"You fell asleep... I thought to be safe... bed off ground... " he murmured, still half-asleep.

"Loki, everyone will be missing us, especially you. The prince of Asgard can't just disappear without notice. We should go back, Frigga is probably worried sick." said Aura.

"Shhhhhh. Let's just stay a little bit longer." Loki said as he turned on his side so that he held Aura in his arms and could rest his chin over her shoulder. He pressed his lips against her neck and it was a long time before he took them off.

"I know, I wish we could stay here all day," said Aura. "but we have to get back before anyone sends out a search party or something of the nature." she added.

"If we must." Loki pouted. He brought himself up into a sitting position and stretched his arms, yawing. Both Loki and Aura were still wearing their clothes from the previous night, and Aura's hair had fallen some so that it hung messily over her shoulder and loose curls criss-crossed on her cheek. Loki tenderly let his fingers find one of her curls and tucked it delicately behind her ear. Aura smiled meekly at him.

They slowly rose from the makeshift bed, straightening their clothing and rubbing the sleep from their eyes. Aura took Loki's hand.

"C'mon." she said "It's not that long of a walk."

They took their time walking to the palace. Most of the trip they spent in silence, walking close together, but only stealing glances at one other when the other wasn't looking. They finally reached the towering golden gates which crested the palace grounds.

Loki knew how to open the gate, but he waited.

"Aura," he finally said "I just want to tell you that last night was better than any other night or day in all of my life." He looked straight into her eyes, his own full of complete sincerity and emotion. He continued.

"I know we've been friends for a long time, and I completely understand if that's what you want us to stay, no matter what we said or did last night, but if we could be more... that would be a dream. You're my favorite person in all the nine realms, and when I said I loved you, I meant it."

Aura looked at him, her eyes full of passion.

"I do want us to be more, Loki. I believe you and I have a chance of being something great. I love you so much, I have for a very long time, but now there's no doubt in my heart at all that you're the only one I ever want."

Loki lifted Aura's hand and kissed the top of it, then let go and with a movement of his fingers the gate to the palace began to swing open. They walked into the luxurious courtyard.

"Where have you two been?" said a voice. Frigga came rushin over to them from across the yard.

"We were too tired to walk back so we just spent the night in the forest. I know that it was foolish of us to not tell anyone, I'm sorry." said Loki.

"We've been looking all over for you," she paused for a second "there's something I need to tell you." she gave a sorrowful look in Aura's direction "but maybe here is not the right place." she added.

Loki and Aura followed her into the palace. The whole time, Frigga kept looking back at the two of them, particularly Aura, with a mournful gaze. She led them to the entrance of one of the palace's small parlors.

"Loki, I think you should wait outside. This is something she needs to hear alone." said Frigga sadly. Aura was terrified. Whatever news Frigga was about to tell her, it must be very bad. She sat down on a couch in the dimly-lit room. Frigga sat on a chair across from her and folded her hands in her lap. She took a deep breath before she spoke. Aura was looking at Frigga with terror-stricken anticipation.

"Last night," Frigga began, as if she was about to remove a wooden splinter from her skin but knew the first tug would bring the most pain.

"Last night your father passed away." she said cautiously.

Aura said nothing, just looked straight ahead, although her skin had turned a ghostly pale. Frigga looked at her worriedly.

"We found him this morning. We think he died in his sleep, painlessly." Frigga said.

"That's impossible!" Aura suddenly exclaimed. "He wasn't sick anymore, he was getting better, I took care of him myself! There must be some kind of mistake! He wasn't going to die!" she protested.

Frigga walked over and put her hand on Aura's shoulder.

"I'm so so sorry." she said "None of us expected this tragedy. There was nothing anyone could have done." she looked down at Aura.

"Do you hear me? It's not your fault Aura."

But by this time Aura had thrown herself against one of the couch cushions and was sobbing.

"There there child. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." repeated Frigga comfortingly. She stood up and turned to leave. Frigga found Thor talking solemnly to Loki outside of the room.

"Is this true mother?" asked Loki.

"I'm afraid so." she said, putting her on on his shoulder.

"Go comfort her." said Frigga, gesturing to the door.

"But... don't you think she needs some time alone to think? Don't you think it's best if-"

"She needs you now." Frigga interupted.

Loki nodded his head and walked into the room. Aura was sitting facing away from him, clinging to the back of the couch and sobbing quietly. He walked and sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry Aura." he said tenderly as he put his arm around her. She didn't say anything, just continued crying. Loki wanted to help her, to do anything to make her feel better. He hated seeing her like this.

"It's going to be alright." he said softly. Her crying stopped for a moment. She pulled free of his arm and turned around to face him, her face red and blotted from tears.

"It's going to be alright?!" she said in angry hysterics. "My father, the only family I have left is GONE, and you say 'it's going to be alright'?!" she snapped viciously.

"Oh no Aura I'm so sorry." Loki said in a panic. But he had realized his mistake too late, Aura turned back around and started crying even harder.

"Please forgive me, I didn't mean to be insensitive. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." he said. Loki didn't know what to say next. He had never dealt with death or grief before, but knew he had done very poorly so far. He decided to be quiet.

"It's okay Loki. I know you were only trying to help." Aura said quietly. She turned around and moved in close to Loki. She buried her head in his shoulder and started to cry again. He wrapped his right arm around her and held her securely, he stroked her hair with his other hand. They sat in silence other than the occasional choking sob emitted from Aura. It felt like an hour passed before Loki discovered that she had fallen asleep. Loki gently moved her so that she lay comfortably across the couch. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"I love you." he said. Loki left the room, hoping Aura could find solace in sleep.

It was a while before she awoke. Loki and Frigga had been periodically checking in on her throughout the day. They walked in together to find Aura sitting up neatly on the couch, no sign of her distress other than her bloodshot eyes.

"Would you like me to call for some tea?" Frigga asked kindly, sitting down in a chair across from her.

"Yes, please." said Aura quietly.

Loki cast a nervous look towards his mother, she nodded to him reassuringly. He went and sat on the opposite end of Aura on the couch. Frigga had said nothing, but a servant came in with a tray of tea for three and set it on the small table in the center of the room, then left. The three prepared their tea in silence, both Frigga and Loki watching Aura. She stirred sugar into her tea and brought the cup to her lips for a short sip. She sat it carefully back in its saucer on the table.

"I'm going to Vanaheim." she said.

Frigga looked at her questioningly, but said nothing.

"What?!" Loki exclaimed.

Aura couldn't bring herself to look at Loki, she feared how he would react, so she talked towards Frigga instead.

"I've been irresponsible and selfish, disregarding my healer's gifts. I realize now how foolish it is. Choosing to not become a healer doesn't only affect me, it's dangerous to everyone. If I had been home last night-"

"That's not true." Frigga protested.

"Yes it is. You and I both know that if I had been there, I could have saved him. If I had stayed home, my father would be alive right now." Aura looked as if she was going to cry again. Now it was Loki's turn to reason with her.

"Aura please, don't blame yourself! It wasn't anyone's fault, it wasn't _your _fault. You must understand!" he begged.

"I can't stay here Loki. I can't go back to that house full of sorrow and memories." said Aura.

"But you don't have to live there! You, you can come live at the palace! There are plenty of spare rooms! I'm certain no one will mind!" he blabbered.

Aura raised a hand to silence him.

"I've already made my decision." she stated "I have to do this, I can't let anything like this happen again to someone I care about." she was now looking at Loki, and Frigga understood.

"I'm leaving in the morning." said Aura "You can come round and say goodbye if you'd like." She stood up and bowed to Frigga. "Thank you for all your kind words and hospitality." she said. She turned to Loki and looked sadly at him. She opened her mouth slightly as if she was going to say something, but quickly decided against it and walked out of the room. Loki and Frigga both heard the large entrance door to the palace open and then close. When he was sure she was gone, Loki jumped to his feet and hurried to Frigga.

"She's not really leaving is she? She can't can she? You can ask father to forbid her from it! She can't go, she just can't!" he looked at Frigga desperately, tears clouding his green eyes. Frigga looked sadly at her youngest son.

"I know how much you love her." she said. "But if you truly care about her, you have to let her go." She saw the anger and confusion building in her son's face. He put a hand on his shoulder.

"Do you know how many times I've had to watch your father leave for battle? Trust me, I know how hard it is, I know how much it hurts. This is her battle, Loki. You have to let her fight it, or she will never forgive herself, she will never move on."

Loki was crying freely now, and Frigga pulled him into her embrace. Night fell upon Asgard, and the youngest prince had never felt so hopeless.

The entrance to the Bifrost was loud with mechanical whirring sounds. An ever-watchful Heimdall now looked away as to give the young ones privacy in their goodbye. Loki and Aura were both crying as they hugged each other.

"Please don't hate me for this." Aura whispered into Loki's ear.

"I could never hate you." he replied with a sad smile. They stood in a moment of thick silence.

"Well then, I guess this is goodbye." said Aura.

"You couldn't just wait one more day to leave?" Loki asked her, pleading.

"No, I have to go now. But this isn't going to be forever." she said, although she sounded unconvinced. The ties between the two realms were strained, and there was a chance that the residents of Vanaheim wouldn't be so keen on bidding farewell to a gifted healer. Loki just looked at her, his eyes still trying to talk her out of leaving.

"Take care Loki, try to stay out of trouble."

"Don't worry, I'll save all the trouble for when you return." laughed Loki, although his cheeks were still streaked with tears. Aura leaned in a kissed him lightly. She turned to Heimdall.

"I'm ready." she said.

In front of her, a swirling portal manifested. She walked forward until her nose was almost touching the wormhole in the galaxy. She turned to glance back at Loki.

He was watching her, an expression of sadness and feigned composure on his face. She turned and stepped with one foot forward into the portal. Loki's tender "I love you." traveled through the air of the Bifrost entrance, disappearing with Aura into the vast unknowns of space.

**(This is the end of part 1. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for reading! Please review, it helps a lot!)**


	6. Part 2 Teaser Chapter

Loki awoke, blind and and disoriented. All he could see was a cloud of black and white specks. He heard footsteps that sounded far away and right inside of his head at the same time. He began to see lights, as if he were looking down a long, dark tunnel into a thermal screen. Then, there was a sensation of pressure on his forehead, as if someone had rested a small stone between his temples. He suddenly felt a pulse of energy, like someone was running, electric water inside of his bones. He now saw two large brown pools at the end of the tunnel. They seemed to be overflowing with clear water. Loki was entranced, he felt a drop of the water fall onto his cheek. He could barely keep his eyes open anymore. He was overwhelmed by the aroma of blossoming wildflowers as he drifted into unconsciousness.

**(This is the first paragraph of part 2, it's all I've written so far, but I have the story planned out and I can't wait to finish it. Please keep reviewing the other chapters, it will help me write faster and give me ideas. Thank you!)**


	7. Chapter 1 of part 2

Loki woke reluctantly. He had dreamed something fantastic, better than any dream he could remember having in a long time. He tried to remember what it had been about, but it was like trying to keep hold of a rope that was slipping quickly from his hands into an impenetrable mist. Loki sighed and gave up at recalling the fantasy, the only detail still vivid to him was a familiar clearing in the forest in which the dream had taken place. The pain all throughout his body suddenly surged, as if sleep had silenced a beast but which now demanded attention. Loki hoped that a healer would come eventually. Surely, he thought, Frigga would demand it. In all his time as prince, he had never visited the prison or even inquired about any prisoners.

_I can't recall Odin ever even mentioning a prisoner being held in Asgard. _

Loki's thoughts were interrupted by another sharp jolt of pain, this time in his ribs. He bit his bottom lip to keep from crying out, which drew blood that made his whole mouth taste like cold, harsh metal.

As if in response to his pain, he heard footsteps coming towards his cell. Loki snapped his eyes shut, hoping that the newcomer would think him asleep and save their judgement and taunting. After the jingle of keys, the door to the cell swung open with an unpleasant raking sound. More footsteps, this time heading straight for where he lay. The footsteps ceased, and Loki could sense someone bending down over him. A hand lifted his wrist and felt his pulse. Loki sensed the person get down on their knees and begin to wipe his face with a damp cloth. The cloth was removed and the person began to rise, but then bent down again. They brushed the raven-black hair from Loki's forehead and kissed him lightly just above his brow. Then they stood, turned, and made their way for the door. Loki allowed them to get halfway before opening his eyes. What he saw was a slender woman, moderately tall, and narrow at the waist, and with a long braid of dark brown hair and-

"Do you kiss _all _the prisoners?" Loki asked jeeringly.

Aura cried out in surprise and spun around. Her face had grown more defined, with high feminine cheekbones and delicate, rose lips. Her brown eyes were wide with fright. Loki immediately regretted his impulsive comment.

"Loki!" Aura exclaimed, still caught off-guard by his sudden presence. She took a few cautious steps backwards.

"I'm- I'm sorry." she stuttered "I didn't think you were awake."

The two stared at each other, each equally overcome with the shock of seeing one another after all the time that had passed.

"Are you afraid of me?" Loki suddenly asked. Aura looked down at her feet.

"They-they told me you were... dangerous." she said cautiously.

"Do you believe them?" he said. Aura couldn't tell if his tone was hurt or angry.

She paused for a moment.

"I don't know what I believe." she said quietly. Loki's intense eyes somehow magnetized her own back into his deadly gaze. Before she knew it, she was on the other side of the room embracing him tightly.

"I've missed you so much, oh how I've missed you." she whispered to him as she wrapped her arms around his back.

"I've missed you too." Loki said. His embrace was close, but he somehow still managed to feel distant.

"This isn't exactly the reunion I imagined." Aura joked bitterly.

"No, it's not." said Loki plainly. Aura tipped her head back to look into his green eyes.

"I have to go now." she said sadly. Loki said nothing.

"They'll get suspicious you know, if I spend too much time here." she added.

"Will you return?" Loki asked, suddenly sounding desperate. Aura sensed his need.

"Of course I will." she broke free of his embrace and left Loki to think, alone in the prison of Asgard.


End file.
